


Neurotoxins & Ginger Ale

by Bolt41319



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-07-01 05:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15767946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bolt41319/pseuds/Bolt41319
Summary: Regina was always stubborn about driving, but this was getting ridiculous.For #OQonHolidaysWeekPrompt #86





	Neurotoxins & Ginger Ale

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #86 -Who gets carsick the easiest?

She always drove them, everywhere. 

He never understood it. After their first year back in Storybrooke, they decided it was time for him to learn how to drive. He realized it was nothing like riding a horse, and the bloody gas pedal was too touchy for his liking, but he got the hang of it. He could pick up Henry from school, or take the boys for ice cream and errands when Regina was at work, but whenever she was there, she had to drive. 

Weeks ago, Henry begged for his parents to take him to the Renaissance Festival in Maryland for his birthday. He’d started by hiding little hints around the house; printed pictures of the festival, little toy horses and knights stashed in their drawers and on tables. Regina finally caved when Henry sent Roland into her office wearing a little knights costume, telling her that he was  _ finally her littlest knight _ . 

They surprised Henry with tickets for his birthday, and with the car packed, they were on their way.

Hours one and two went by faster than they’d expected. They left at 2am, so the boys were curled up asleep in the back of the car, snuggled into their blankets. Regina’s hands loosened and gripped against the steering wheel, while Robin looked over at her. 

“Want me to drive?” 

She smiles and him, and shakes her head. “I’m good.” 

“Regina, love, you’re falling asleep. You’ve got that look in your eyes that you get when we watch movies on that box in your living room.”

“A television, darling” she laughs. “That’s still called a television, even if it’s shaped like a box.” 

“Regardless, i’ll drive.” 

She shakes her head, stretching her fingers again. “I- I can’t.” 

“What do you mean you can’t? You never let me drive, and you look exhausted. Pull over, we’ll switch.”

She shakes her head. As she starts to stretch her fingers again, he reaches out and squeezes her hand. “We can switch back and forth every few hours. You can trust me to drive the car, Regina.” 

“No, Robin you don’t get it. It’s not that I don’t trust you to drive, i’ll-”

“Mom throws up” Henry interrupts, yawning from the back seat.

“Wait- what?” 

Henry yawns again, and pulls the blanket up to snuggle into his cheek. “Mom, she’ll throw up.”

The stern  _ Henry Daniel  _ she growls from the front seat makes both of her men chuckle. “You need to go back to sleep. We’ll be hitting a rest stop around breakfast time, so you should sleep before then.” 

He shrugs and turns his head toward Robin. “She probably is tired, but she’s scared to throw up because she’s embarrassed. It happened when we went on Kilian’s boat a few years ago. We hadn’t even taken out of the dock yet and she got all green and she made this weird face. And then, she threw up off the side-”

“That’s enough. No more noise out of you, Henry. Sleep, so we can have extra time at the fair this afternoon and we don’t have to get up as early tomorrow.”

He groaned and forced himself back to sleep before Robin finally spoke again. “You get motion sickness?”

Regina glances at him for a second and nods. “I’m not quite good with anything that moves if i’m not in control of it.” 

“So when we were supposed to go out on the boat for Emma’s birthday and you got that cold-”

“Fake” she interjects. “I knew hours on a boat would have me throwing up in seconds, so I didn’t see the point to go.” 

Robin chuckles and slides his hand over to squeeze her thigh. “Regina, love, why didn’t you just tell me? We could have easily both not gone, or asked them to change the party.” 

“Because it is embarrassing! I’m a grown-ass woman and I can’t even ride in a car, or go on a boat. Heaven forbid I ride anything spinning at a carnival, that puts me out for days. Sometimes I even get it when i’m driving, but being in control of the car helps take my mind off of it. It’s this whole part of me that I wish would just… disappear. And i’ve tried all of the pills, and the little patch you put behind your ear, but nothing works. So I just tough it out, and hope for the best. And, we need gas so i’m going to get off here.” 

“Does anything help?”

“Ginger-ale usually makes me less nauseous. Pretzels, too, sometimes to soak up whatever else is there. It’s like curing a really annoying hangover” she laughs. “You just have to deal with it.” 

She pulls into the gas station and he hops out of the car and runs toward the store. Moments later, her heart melts at the sight of Robin with a big plastic bag, filled to the brim with snacks and sodas. 

Regina’s still pumping gas when we walks up with a grin spread across his face. “So I got you some of those pretzel things you mentioned, and the sodas. They had these things as well.” he holds up a bag of Combos, and she can’t hold back her giggle. “Not quite sure what they are but it had a pizza on the front and I know how much you like pizza when you’ll actually eat it, so I got you those too. And the medicine section has this little wristband, you wear it and something about the pressure points in your wrist… Either way it might help, and you don’t have to take anything-”

She cuts him off with a kiss, quick against his lips. Her hands cradle his cheeks as she presses a few more kisses, and pulls away with a smile. “I love you.” 

The idiotic smirk across his face makes her kiss him again. She loves this man, and his caring, thoughtful self. 

“You shouldn’t have to feel embarrassed about anything Regina. I love you, and all of your little idiosyncrasies. Even if you can’t ride in a car, or on a boat. You’re you, and I love  _ you _ . Vomit and all.” 

She laughs and playfully smacks a hand against his chest. “Alright then. You can drive for a bit, and we’ll switch off once the boys are up and we get some breakfast in us.” 

Back on the road, she settles into the passenger seat curled up under a blanket. Before the nausea creeps in, she falls asleep with Robin’s hand rubbing circles against her thigh. 

  
  



End file.
